


Sunset (Dawn Break)

by Night_Queen3927



Series: Fairy Tales [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Akumatized Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Sleeping Beauty Fusion, Curses, Fairy Tale Retellings, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Plans, Sleeping Beauty Elements, Story within a Story, Tags May Change, True Love, Witch Curses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:28:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24583822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Night_Queen3927/pseuds/Night_Queen3927
Summary: Marinette is the princess of her own kingdom, beloved by all her people and doted on by her parents. Yet like all royalty, there is jealous people and wicked people ready to attack.One jealous and powerful person does so, cursing the princess and making way to break the curse almost impossible. Yet kind spirits step in and change it so that Marinette's curse can be broken and she can find happiness.
Relationships: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Tom Dupain, Mylène Haprèle & Lê Chiến Kim, Sabine Cheng & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Sabine Cheng & Tom Dupain, Sabine Cheng/Tom Dupain
Series: Fairy Tales [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1776940
Comments: 13
Kudos: 82





	1. A blessing and a curse

**Author's Note:**

> Don't own ML, still stuck in the fandom despite my dislike of the direction it's going.
> 
> Warnings: None that I can think of. Just general fairy tale warnings.
> 
> This will have multiple chapters; I'm planning for 4-5, but that can change based on the muse. Please don't come begging for updates fast, that hurts the muse.

_A tale as old as time. One that has been changed and warped as generations passed and new values appeared._

_A job that has endured as long as humanity can remember. One that has grown and changed as humanity evolved and learned._

The Princess of Shuìjiào  
Once upon a time, there was a king and queen who reigned over their own small kingdom. They weren’t extraordinarily powerful, however they had goods that every other kingdom lacked, making them a favored trading partner.

Then one day, the queen became pregnant. She was told that she would give birth to the heir of the kingdom, an heir that the entire kingdom was eager to see and welcome. 

“Sabine, my Queen.” A large man chuckled, gently grabbing his wife's smaller hand. “You have given us a treasure worth more than everything in my treasury. A child of our own.”

“Tom,” Sabine sighed, a hand resting on her swollen belly and a crown perched neatly on her head. “You are such a flatter. Just wait until he’s born, then you can say that.”

“He?” Tom asked, spinning his wife around so that she landed within his arms. “No, no, mon chéri. I know this baby will be a girl. One that looks just like my darling wife, one that is perfect just like you.”

“Fine, Tom!” Sabine laughed, squirming as she tried to escape Tom’s massive hands. “But if I give birth to a boy, you’ll admit I was right! Mother’s intuition wins!”

“And if you give birth to a little girl, I won’t gloat. Too much.” Tom teased, letting go of his wife. Bending in half, he dropped a kiss on Sabine’s forehead.

_-_-_

In the middle of spring, Queen Sabine gave birth to her first-born. The babe was born wailing with dark blue fuzz covering her scalp. Bleary blue eyes blinked slowly as she looked at the people around her. The royal family secluded themselves for a month as traditions dictated, giving them time to bond with their new born child as well as allow for the child to strengthen themselves.

A month later, the royal family finally emerged into the public eye. Tom was dressed as befitted a king, a great broadsword strapped at his waist with chainmail covering his body and a golden circlet on his head. Sabine followed after him, dressed in a red qipao with several different characters stitched into the hems for luck and a golden crown nestled into her hair. In her arms was her child, swaddled with black fabrics that had red and gold characters stitched all over them.

“My people.” Tom announced, catching his subjects eyes with his sheer presence. “I’m pleased to announce that Queen Sabine has successfully given birth to our first-born daughter and heir to the throne!” The roar of the crowd drowned out anything else that Tom might’ve said. Chuckling fondly, Tom waited until they settled down before he continued. “As our customs dictate, today is the day that we announce her name and petition for the spirits to guide her down the correct path. I would like to introduce you to Crown Princess Marinette of the Dupain line and the Cheng lineage, first of her name!”

Sabine stepped forward, heels clicking on the stone of the castle. “To any Spirits who may be watching, we invite you to visit our daughter at your leisure to meet her. We plead that you will guide her down the correct path as you have guided our ancestors down their correct paths.”

_-_-_

As Marinette Dupain Cheng grew older, she met more children of royal descent and indeed befriended most of them, securing alliances for when she inevitably took over the throne from her parents.

Yet everything changed when she turned fifteen years old.

A new princess had appeared in Marinette’s social circle. One that made claims so outrageous that they were unlikely to happen yet were impossible to either verify or deny. And as a princess of similar social standing, Marinette couldn’t just accuse her of lying.

This continued for a while, Marinette desperately trying to prove the new princess a liar without forfeiting her honor.

Finally, her parents saw how Marinette was losing her sense of positivity and cheer, and coaxed the entire truth out of Marinette. Cookies were offered as a bribe, hot chocolate was made to sooth, and liberal amounts of hugs were given out.

Yet when Marinette had finished her tale, a cold wind swept through her bedroom. A whirling storm made of black and gray kicked up in her room, a miniature tornado spinning on Marinette’s pink rug.

“Mari, Mari, Mari.” A voice tutted, stepping out of the tornado. Hands brushed off a hideous orange jacket and straightened a black pencil skirt. “I told you that you couldn’t tell anyone what we were doing, or you would regret it!”

“Begone, Lila Rossi!” Marinette cried, throwing her hand to the side. “You are trespassing where you are not invited.”

Lila merely smiled, flashing fangs as she chuckled airly. Hands readjusted ponytails dangling on either side of her face, then centered the crown on her head. “But, I have a gift for you! One that you positively cannot refuse.” She lunged forward, hands shifting into claws, moving too fast for Tom or Sabine to intercept. Claws sunk into Marinette’s face and dragged down, leaving ten scratches on her face, five on each side stretching from her cheeks to her chin. “You will sleep while these scratches heal, and if by the time they heal, your true love hasn’t kissed you, you’ll die!” Lila stomped her foot, and Marinette fell to the ground, blood leaking from the scratches.

“Marinette!” Tom called, lunging to catch his falling daughter.

“No, you don’t!” Lila shouted, spinning in front of Tom. “All that live here will sleep until Marinette’s curse is done, and they will wake only then!”

Tom’s eyes started to close, Sabine trying to catch him before he fell. 

It was all in vain, as Tom hit the ground with Sabine landing on top of him. With her last waking moments, Sabine called out, “Spirits, help us. Please.” She fell asleep, dress wrinkled and crown spinning on the stone floor.

A ball of red and a ball of black appeared in the room, starting small and expanding to reveal to spirits.

“A mortal laid a very powerful curse here, Tikki.” A black cat-mouse said, nose wrinkling at some scent that they caught. “One that was cast with blood to lock it.”

“Yes, Plagg.” The red bug-mouse replied, blue eyes looking around. “What type of curse is it?”

“I think it was that upstart, Lila Rossi. If I’m reading the scent right, it’s on Marinette and is linked to those scratches.” Plagg zoomed over to Marinette’s limp body, pointing a tiny paw at the bloody scratches. 

“I know the curse.” Tikki sighed, eyes closing in sorrow. “She had just learned about the Dark Fairy’s penchant for cursing opponents to die at a certain time. Lila had said that she would do something like that. She isn’t strong enough to do it now, though.”

“Tikki, what if she time-locked it?” Plagg’s voice was horrified, green eyes focused on something far away. “If she cursed Marinette to sleep, the curse could build up power and kill Marinette later.”

“And the scratches are a key part of the curse. She probably linked it so that when the scratches heal, a few weeks at maximum, Marinette will die.” Tikki laughed ruefully, “And because Lila has no creativity, the curse will only be undone with True Love’s kiss. We can’t change that, not when we have confined a lot of our power in an object.”

“But I can change something, Tikki.” Plagg whispered, paw hovering over the scratches. “I am Destruction and Death embodied. I can curse her scratches so that they never heal, and Marinette will sleep, locked in this state until her true love kisses her.”

“And I can freeze everyone else in time so that they don’t age. Just bless them so that they’ll heal so fast that time doesn’t affect them.” Tikki added, eyes lighting up with hope.

The two spirits nodded at each other and started to work their magic. One creating destruction so that nothing would heal and progress. One creating healing so that nothing would decay and progress.

Afterwards, Tikki and Plagg worked together and bore Marinette to her bed, drawing the covers up so that she merely looked like she was sleeping.

Then the spirits went out and spread the word, sharing the tale.

The Princess Marinette and her court who was cursed to sleep until her true love came and woke her up. A princess that saw the best in humanity and helped all that deserved it.

And over time, the tale changed. The name and location of the princess was forgotten. Her court was ignored and dismissed. 

Until decades later, the tale settled into its final form. 

Once upon a time, there lived a princess who was kind-hearted and generous, beloved by all her people. Yet, a wicked witch grew jealous of her and cursed her to sleep for eternity, never dying or aging as time marched on, dooming her family to watch her as they died of age and disease. But a benevolent spirit changed the curse just enough, so that her family was trapped under the same curse and added a way to end the curse.

The kiss of true love.

When the Princess of Shuìjiào was kissed by her true love, she and her family would awaken, and offer gifts to the rescuer.


	2. Spirit Tails

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tikki and Plagg are determined to break the curse laid upon the sleeping princess and call in their family to help spread the story. Hoping that it would reach a true love who could wake her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still don't own ML, still going crazy from staying home and not being able to get out for going on 3 months.
> 
> Can't think of anything that might be triggering/distressing. Just general fairy tale warnings and discussion of diseases/sickness for like one line.

“Lets go, Plagg.” Tikki said, surveying their handiwork. All of the people that lived in the castle had been shifted so that their clothes were arranged properly and they wouldn’t wake up injured. The animals were all tucked into their stalls, their dens, their nests and sleeping soundly alongside their owners.

Marinette had been ferried to her bed, eyes closed and hair brushed loose around her shoulders. Blood was still coming from the scratches but at a much more sluggish pace. A ribbon was tied around her neck with a heart-shaped locket strung on it.

“Let’s call the Circle, Tikki.” Plagg said, flying by Tikki, black body concealed in the night. “If we share the story with them, then all of us can share the stories with our chosens. That’ll help wake Marinette up faster.”

Tikki nodded in acceptance. Blue eyes closed and she started to sing. This song had no words to it, only music, stirring a range of emotions in all that heard it.

A son who had just buried his mother, smiled, remembering all the good things that they had done together. Stories told by firelight, traveling to town for the market, starting courtship with his future bride.

A soldier marching off to battle, stiffened her shoulders and tilted her chin up, remembering the reasons she was fighting. A father crippled in his last battle and past the age of fighting. A grandmother who gave her lucky items so that she would succeed in her ventures. A mother who only wanted the best for her only child.

A girl lost in the woods took heart, brown eyes filled with fire again. She was lost, searching for her old father, a man who for all his eccentricities was kind and loving. The woods that had seemed dark and scary previously lightened, the sun shining through.

Every time that the song ended and restarted a new spirit appeared, flying by Plagg and Tikki.

First was a butterfly-mouse spirit, a smile on his lips.

Next a turtle-mouse appeared, drumming on his shell.

A bumblebee-mouse fell in line, buzzing coming from her wings.

A fox-mouse popped in existence, startling the other spirits, laughing the whole time.

A peacock-mouse gracefully flew into the formation, tail dazzling the others.

A flying mouse was next, tail swinging as he raced on all fours attempting to evade a pink tiger-mouse chasing him.

A bull-mouse joined the herd, with a bunny-mouse riding on him.

A dragon-mouse and snake-mouse joined in, twisting around each other in patterns that created illusions.

A portal popped open, ahead of the group, allowing the last 6 spirits to pour out; a horse-mouse, a goat-mouse, a monkey-mouse, a rooster-mouse, a dog-mouse, and a pig-mouse.

“Greetings, my brethren.” Tikki said, alighting upon a wide branch of a tree. “I have called you here for help.” The rest of the spirits followed Tikki’s lead, landing on the branch. They shifted to form a circle around Tikki and Plagg, waiting to hear the story. “My Avatar has been cursed by a witch, which originally would have killed her. Plagg and I managed to mitigate the curse, and give her time for the curse to break.”

“How can we help?” The green turtle-mouse asked, tilting his head to the side.

“Spread her story.” Plagg cut in, green eyes sorrowful. “We can only interact with our Avatars. Mine has been stripped of all communication. Her hometown thinks that just because she has green eyes, that she needs to be isolated and avoided. I can’t help.”

“Ours are still babies.” Fluff said, gesturing to him and Orikko. “They won’t be able to communicate anyway.

“Mine is hunting in the forest by himself.” Barkk said, sneezing from a strange scent.

Ziggy cocked their head to the side, rectangular pupils dilating from the sunlight. “I can tell mine, but she’s only nine. No one will believe her.

“Kaalki’s and mine are on a ship that will be at sea for 3 more years.” Daizzi said, a floppy pink ear covering her eye.

“I can tell mine.” Xuppu said, tail curling over his shoulder. “He’s traveling with a circus right now as a bard, so he’ll spread the word more.

“Mine is too old, he’s lost the ability to tell reality from delusion.” Wayzz said sorrowfully. “Kari will be coming for him soon.”

Sass hissed looking at Longg, tilting his head to the side. Longg nodded, granting permission. Sass sighed and said, “Longg and I have conjoined twins for our Avatars. We can tell them but they are very sickly right now. They can barely talk and are hallucinating.”

Stompp huffed, breath forming a cloud in front of her. “Mine still runs away from me, screaming about devils and demons. She won’t listen to a word that I say, and definitely won’t share your Avatar’s story.”

“Mine is the same as Stompp’s.” Roarr said, shrugging his shoulders. “He screams and won’t calm down long enough for me to explain.”

“I can tell mine!” Mullo chirped, happy and excited to help. “He’s living at a tavern right now, so he can share with a lot of people.”

Nooroo chimed in, wings fluttering in the breeze. “My Avatar is suffering a breakdown right now. She’s having trouble processing all the emotion that comes with being mine. She’s self-isolating to try and identify which emotions are hers.” 

“Mine is with Nooroo, he’s helping her classify all her emotions.” Duusu said, adjusting her tail feathers.

“Mine is too high up to share your Avatar’s story.” Pollen said, stroking her antenna. “She can’t just sit down with people to share stories.”

Trixx huffed, stroking his fluffy tail. “My Avatar is being held captive by that Lila Rossi girl. She’s comatose and Rossi is draining her of all her power.”

Tikki sighed, closing her eyes. “So only Xuppu’s and Mullo’s Avatar can share my Avatar’s story. Thank you for entertaining my request.”

“You’d do the same for us in a heartbeat.” Nooroo smiled, purple eyes gentle. “Now, tell us the story of your Avatar.”

“Let’s start this the way all stories need to be started, then.” Tikki sat down, a paw rubbing the black dot on her forehead.

_Once upon a time, there lived a happy couple, one that ruled over a kingdom that loved them. Their lives were complete except for the fact that they wanted to add a child to their family that they could pass their values and traditions down to._

_And one day their wish was granted. The Queen was pregnant with her first-born child, the child that would inherit their kingdom and take over when they were ready._

_Nine months passed, the Queen’s belly growing bigger with each month and the King’s protectiveness increasing with every centimeter that the Queen grew. As the time passed, they teased each other about what their baby would be, the Queen certain she would give birth to a boy and the King equally certain that a baby girl would be born. They teased each other about it, each believing they were right, but both vowing to love their child with all of their heart no matter if they were a boy or a girl._

_The day finally came, the Queen gave birth to a healthy baby and the royal family secluded themselves so that the baby could adjust to the world and grow stronger._

_A month later, the royal family stood in front of their people and announced the birth of their first-born and heir to their kingdom._

_Crown Princess Marinette of the Dupain line and the Cheng lineage._

_As she grew up, all acknowledged her as a kind and wonderful person that cared for all her people, the rich, the poor, the sick, the healthy._

_Yet another princess was jealous of her. And her jealousy drove her to lie and cheat and steal, all to destroy Marinette. Marinette tried to show her friends that the princess was lying but never succeeded. With each failed attempt her spirit broke a little more until her parents worried about her and forced her to tell them what had happened._

_The lying princess appeared, drawing on her magical powers. Laughing, she laid a curse on Marinette. She scratched the princess with all ten of her claws and decreed that Marinette would sleep until those scratches healed or her true love kissed her. If the scratches healed before she was kissed by her true love, she would die. Her family and court were cursed along with her, doomed to sleep until the curse was broken, one way or another._

_But the spirits came and had pity on the sleeping princess. They couldn’t break the curse or change it too much, but they could tweak it just enough to give the princess a better chance at survival. They cursed the scratches so that they would only heal with the kiss of true love and enchanted all the court so that they would be frozen in time until the princess’ curses were broken and she awoke.  
_

When the story had finished, all the spirits left, returning to their homes or going to their Avatars. 

Mullo and Xuppu both gave Tikki a nod before zooming off, thin tails curled around their bodies to maximize their speed. Xuppu went to the east and Mullo went to the west, bearing the story to their Avatar to try and awaken a princess who deserved a better fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed, and it was worth the read.
> 
> I think I can fit the story in 4 chapters without making it rushed, but that might change a bit. I'm also hoping to have the next chapter finished in a few days. It's going to be a bit harder to write than this one. 
> 
> As always, if you spot any grammar/spelling/whatever errors, feel free to drop a comment (feel free to do that, even if you don't see an error. Comments and kudos feed the muse).


	3. Plan me a Plan (Catch me a Match)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two people in a tavern are plotting to wake the Sleeping Princess up with secret information on how to find her True Love.  
> A Prince and his companions wander into a tavern to rest for the night and return home the next day.  
> How does this joke end again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still don't own ML, still don't want to have my name attached to it.  
> CWs/TWs: I don't think there are any, but I could be wrong.

“Hey, you know what we should do?” A boy with hair gelled straight up said, bouncing around his friend.

“What, Kim?” A girl replied, quill moving across paper as a story came to life.

“We should go and find that Princess of Shuìjiào! If we can wake her up, imagine what we could get! I’d be a famous adventurer and you could finally get your novel published! Come on, Myléne!” Kim pleaded, plopping down in front of her. 

“How do you even know if the story is true?” Myléne replied, setting her pen down next to the paper. “Maybe someone just made it up.

“No, I got it directly from my grandfather. And he heard it from the spirit connected to our family line. So we know that it's true, and where the princess is!”

“Fine. What do we need to do?” She directed all her attention at Kim, arching an eyebrow and fiddling with one of her locs. “How do we wake up the princess?”

“That’s the tricky part. We need the kiss of true love to wake up apparently.”

“It’s impossible.” Myléne dismissed him and turned back to her writing. “You need to know someone to truly love them. The princess has been asleep for almost 100 years. Almost everyone who knew her is dead, and those who aren’t are in no state to travel.”

“My father actually had an idea about that. Remember how he studies curses?” Kim barreled on, refusing to stop. “He actually thinks that true love is just two souls recognizing each other and reacting with one another. So if we find someone who’s soul resonates with the princess’s soul, that will count as true love when they kiss her.”

“But who has a resonating soul with the princess? There’s no spell that will check for that type of power.” She laid down her quill, and tucked the paper away. Eyes were keenly focused on her partner, gauging every move made.

“Do you remember the stories about the spirits? How every ruling family is blessed with at least one spirit and how some spirits have Avatars that pop up randomly. Remember the Bourgeois kingdom? They were blessed by the spirit of subjugation, allowing them to rule easily. The Agreste kingdom is favored by the spirit of transmission, so they can read emotions much easier.” Kim gestured wildly, spinning around in place. “They say that the lost kingdom with the sleeping princess was blessed by the Spirit of Creation. That the princess had marks that signified her position as the Avatar of Creation. So all we need to do is find the Avatar of the Spirit of Destruction, take them and wake up the princess.”

“But how will we find them?” Myléne hissed, eyes flashing in the light. “It’s not like they’ll come marching in, declaring that they are the spirit of destruction embodied!”

“Come on, your highness! We need to get off of the road before you destroy anything else!” A boy snapped, as the door banged open. A shield painted to resemble the shell of a turtle was secured on his back and he was wearing armor made out of chain mail. A black belt secured the armor in place. The entire outfit was topped off with a dark green cloak with a hood drawn over his head.

“But, Nino!” A blond boy whined as he was dragged through the door. He was wearing a simple outfit, all black clothing with small bits of armour protecting vital spots. A long black baton was strapped to his side. “I need to get home soon.”

“Your highness, please remember something. When you are tired, bad things happen.” A girl followed behind the boys, dressed in a black dress trimmed with white on the hems and orange embroidery spiraling around the fabric. A bright orange belt was strapped around her waist with a pouch hanging off of it, clinking softly as she moved. An oversized flute was strapped to her back, painted orange with white decorations. “Remember that time you had to stay up for 4 hours for that painting that His Majesty wanted, after all of your training? By the 3rd hour, you were nodding off and ended up destroying a very valuable chair accidentally.” 

“That’s true. Fine, I’ll sleep tonight, but tomorrow, we have to get home.” The blonde boy grumbled as he stomped over to the table and sat down in a huff. “I want cheese before I go to sleep though.”

“Very well, your highness.” Nino bowed, and drifted over to the bar. “Alya, can I have the pouch?” The girl detached the pouch from her belt and tossed it over to her traveling companion who caught it easily. Stopping at the bar, Nino flashed a blinding smile to catch the attention of the man manning the bar. “Can I get a pot of cheese fondue with bread, fruit and meat on the side?”

“Sure. Anythin’ else?” The man leaned on the bar, brown eyes blinking lazily.

“A pitcher of water with a small cup of milk.” Nino finished the order, finishing 3 gold coins out of the pouch. Dropping them on the bar, Nino pushed back his hood, and continued speaking. “Keep the food coming til the money’s used up.” He shoved his hands into his pockets and rejoined his party at the table.

“That’s the one, Myléne!” Kim hissed leaning in close. “You heard what the knight said, the prince destroyed something because he was tired.”

“Why is that important? I destroy things when I’m tired.” Myléne retorted, rolling her eyes.

“The counterpart of the Spirit of Creation is the Spirit of Destruction. They say that the Avatar of Destruction always looks innocent and pure but has a mischievous streak wider than the Seine River with constant hunger for cheese.” Kim relayed, a smile on his lips.

“Or this could be a coincidence.” Myléne quickly shot down the theory. When she saw Kim pouting, she sighed, cursing her soft heart, and said, “Tell you what, we can ask them tomorrow morning. If the Princess is close enough, then the prince will be honor-bound to attempt to rescue her. Deal?” She stuck her hand out, giving Kim the choice.

Kim smiled, standing up and towering over Myléne. He grabbed her smaller hand, enveloping it in his larger one, and shook it firmly. “Deal!”

With that Kim and Myléne both went their separate ways. Kim exited the tavern, stopping at the bar to grab his war hammer from the bartender, humming a merry tune that was familiar to all that heard it. 

Myléne grabbed the mugs that they were drinking out of and headed for the kitchen behind the bar. A clatter was heard in the quiet tavern as the mugs were dropped in a bucket of hot water for her to clean. She reemerged from the kitchen a few minutes later, tying an apron around her waist and straightening the bandanna on her head. A small but sharp dagger glinted on her belt in case of any unruly customers that might’ve gotten drunk.

“Ok, Your Highness.” The knight sighed as he pulled the blond up onto his feet. “You had your cheese and your milk. It’s time to go to bed now.” With that the party vanished up the stairs to where the bedrooms were. 

The last audible thing from the party was the girl groaning, “Please try to not destroy the bedroom this time. It’s expensive to replace beds every night.

Myléne smiled as she cleaned off the table, She was confident of it now. The blond prince was the Avatar of Destruction and could help Kim fulfill his quest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed!
> 
> As always, any grammar/spelling/syntax problems, feel free to tell me. Feel free to tell me anything about the story, if you like it, if you hate it, if you are just indifferent. The muse likes reading those.
> 
> I think the last (maybe?) chapter will be done in a week or so. I know exactly how I want it to go, but now it's just a matter of getting the words to cooperate with me.
> 
> Yes, they were in a tavern. No, they weren't drinking alcohol. Yes, they were on the road with no adults. No, they didn't get hurt too badly on the road.
> 
> The title is ripped off from the song, 'Matchmaker, Matchmaker' from Fiddler on the Roof. Specifically, 'Find me a find, catch me a catch'


	4. Hidden Eyes (Revealed Lies)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sleepy prince wakes up, secrets are revealed, and an adventure is to be had by all!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't own ML or Sleeping Beauty
> 
> CW/TW: Don't think there are any

The blonde boy stumbled down the stairs, mouth opened wide in a yawn. One arm was tucked behind his head and had a grip on his other elbow, trying to do his daily stretches. 

“Prince Adrien!” Alya stumbled down the stairs after the boy, adjusting her belt so that it sat comfortably on her waist. “You must wait for Nino! He’s responsible for keeping you alive.”

“You fuss too much, Alya!” Adrien laughed, sticking his tongue out playfully. A hand with short nails ruffled through his hair, getting rid of the bed-head. “I survived 15 years without Nino. I’m quite sure that I can live through getting breakfast on my own.”

“Your Highness,” Alya’s voice went serious and she grabbed him by the upper arm, turning him to face her. Her voice was low, ensuring that no one heard. “Nino keeps you alive as well as everyone else. You cannot destroy his shield, so if your power goes haywire, like it did when you were small, he can stop you. I’m here to ensure that if anything bad happens, it will not reflect upon the Agreste Kingdom. Please remember who you are and why you have us accompanying you.”

“Very well, Alya.” Adrien sighed, giving in to her rationale. “I’ll go sit at the table and you can get Nino up.” He meandered over to the table, plopping down with a theatrical sigh, propping his chin on his fist. A mug thumped on the table beside his elbow. “I’ll just sit here, drinking my milk.

“Thank you, Your Highness.” Alya smiled, sharp teeth glinting in the light. “I’ll be right back.” She bounded up the stairs, silent as a fox on the hunt.

In the kitchen, Myléne peeked around the door, eyes examining the room. Kim danced in place behind her, eager to hear her declaration. She turned back around and gave Kim a decisive nod.

With a hoot of laughter, Kim burst through the doors, heading straight for the only occupied table. Myléne drifted after him, hands adjusting her bandanna. Slamming his hands on the table, Kim announced, “You are the Avatar of Destruction!”

Green eyes widened as if they were the eyes of a mouse who had just been caught by a cat. “I’m afraid that I don’t know what you are referring to. However, I’d appreciate it if you back away from me.”

Myléne rolled her eyes and hip-checked Kim out of the way, curtsying as she did so. “My apologies, Your Highness. My friend here is overly excited. We have a request to make of you, if you would be willing to listen.”

“What is it?” Adrien asked, pupils narrowing in suspicion, hand tightening on his mug. “And who are you?”

“I am called Myléne and he is called Kim.” Myléne answered calmly, stepping on Kim’s foot when it seemed like he was about to blurt something out. “We are adventurers who travel the nations, searching for the truth behind the common legends and myths. We have recently determined that the story of the Princess of Shuìjiào is in fact true, and that the princess lies under a curse that can only be broken by her true love.”

“I would like to help, but how can I be this princess’s true love?” Adrien replied, arching a blond brow. He leaned back in his chair so that he could see both of the people in front of him. The mug was clenched tighter, knuckles turning white.

“Kim had a theory about that, Your Highness.” Myléne gestured at her companion, indicating for him to expand on that. “He’ll tell you about it.”

“Your Highness,” Kim stumbled over the honorifics, unused to interacting with someone in a different social class. “My family is connected to a Spirit, the Monkey Spirit. The Monkey Spirit told my grandfather who then told me the tale of the curse and that the Princess of Shuìjiào and her Kingdom was blessed by the Spirit of Creation. The Monkey Spirit told my grandfather that the princess was the Avatar of Creation, that she was personally marked by the Spirit.” Kim paused, glancing at the prince who was deep in thought. Sucking in a breath, Kim continued his tale. “My Father studies curses, and has a theory. True love is just two souls that match reacting with each other. He told me that if I found the Avatar of Destruction, that soul would match the soul of the Avatar of Creation, and a kiss would break the curse.”

“Again, I’d like to help, but I’m not the Avatar of Destruction.” Adrien said, green eyes flashing in the light. “My family line is blessed by a different Spirit entirely.”

“Your Highness,” Myléne interrupted, eyes gentle. “You can be blessed by one Spirit but be the Avatar of another. Only the Avatar of Destruction can destroy things with only a single touch unintentionally. You’ve completely destroyed the mug that you were drinking out of when we came over.” Adrien glanced down at the table, only to see a puddle of white liquid and no mug.

“Fine. You’ve got me. What do you want me to do?” Adrien groaned, swiping a finger through his spilled milk.

“Our research indicates that the castle of the princess is about an hour’s ride to the west, following the Eiffel River. It is actually on your way to your home, Prince Adrien.” Myléne smiled cheekily, letting him know that they knew exactly who they were approaching.

“Very well, you have me cornered.” Adrien stood up, heading over to the bar to get another mug of milk. “When Alya and Nino join me, we’ll set out on this journey. Do you have horses to ride?”

“I do.” Kim raised his hand, tilting his head to the side. “He’s older but strong and fast. Myléne can ride with me.”

~-_~-_~-_~-_~-_

Hooves clicked on a stone-paved road, with voices interwoven between the clicks.

“Seriously? You have never heard the full story of the sleeping princess.” Kim asked, laughing loudly. “The story is told to everyone in our village and our bards shared it on their travels for generations.”

“I wasn’t allowed out much as a child.” Adrien laughed, rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish grin. “Father closely monitored everything that I was exposed to.”

“Well, we have an hour to the castle. Myléne and I can tell you the story ourselves.” Kim grinned, hooking his chin on top of Myléne’s head. “Sit back and get comfortable. This tale is one that is best around a fire, sharing a family meal.” Clearing his throat, Kim launched into the tale.

“Generations have passed. Babies have been born. They grew up, scraping their knees, climbing trees, picking fights. They fell in love, they started families, and they had their own babies. Those babies continued the cycle, growing up, playing, visiting their grandparents in their old age. And eventually, tending to the graves of their grandparents.

“But throughout all that time, there exists a single place where none of that happens. Where no babies are born, where no children climb things and play, where no graves are dug. A place that is frozen in time. The kingdom of Creation.”

Myléne took over the story, voice smooth and modulated, bringing the story to life. “The Kingdom of Creation was like other kingdoms. The King and Queen ruled over the kingdom, beloved by their subjects, yet wanting only one thing. A child, a first-born who would take over the kingdom after them. And one day, the Queen fell pregnant, her belly swelling with every month that passed by. Everyone closed ranks around the Queen, the King standing guard to protect his wife and their unborn child. Still, the King and Queen retained their playfulness, teasing each other about the gender of their child, each certain that the child would take after their significant other.

“When the Queen finally gave birth, the royal family did as tradition dictated, secluding themselves with their newborn. By this time, no one knew the reason for that. Theories abound, ranging from bonding time, to offering the child to the Spirit of Creation, to cast protection spells, to the newborn being weak to the Spirits taking them away.

“A week later, the King and Queen stood in front of their subjects, their baby cradled in their arms, and announced the name of the child. Shuì měi rén, the crown princess of the kingdom and heir to the throne.

“The Princess was truly the Avatar of Creation. She was kind, wonderful, a girl who would give the dress off of her back to a freezing child, her last coin to a starving beggar, medicine to the sick.”

Kim jumped in, knowing that Myléne wouldn’t continue past that point. His voice deepened, setting an ominous mood. “However, a wicked witch was jealous of her, of her beauty, her kind heart, and the love that her people had for the Princess. This jealousy drove the witch mad with rage, so she would lie, cheat, and steal, all in a futile attempt to destroy the Princess’s reputation. Finally, the Princess couldn’t stand it anymore, and fled to her parents, crying tears of pain and sorrow, confessing what she was suffering.

“The Witch hated this, and appeared in front of the royal family, ready to curse them. With a lightning fast swing of her claws, the witch gave the princess ten claw marks on her face, and cursed her. This curse was truly insidious, cursing her to sleep until her true love kissed her and broke the curse or until the scratches healed, at which point she would die. The worst part of the curse was that her court was cursed as well, doomed to sleep until the curse on the princess ended, either in true love or death, yet they would age under the curse so that they woke up having lost half of their life.”

“But the spirits had pity on the kingdom. They layered another curse on top of the witch’s curse, cursing the scratches so that they would only heal when kissed by true love. Then an enchantment was tied to the scratches, so that everyone in the kingdom would be frozen in time until the curses were broken by true love.” Kim finished the story, smiling at Myléne in thanks for telling the story with him. “And on that note, we have arrived at the lost kingdom.”

In front of the 4 horses and 5 humans, stretched an impenetrable barrier made of plants. Vines were interlocked, treetops mixed together so thoroughly you couldn’t see one from another. Flowers bloomed everywhere, making the entire wall beautiful in appearance. Thorns hid behind colorful petals, hidden secrets that were deadly if handled wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this and thanks for reading.
> 
> De facto, if you see any errors in grammar/sleeping/formatting, feel free to tell me in the comments.
> 
> I thought I could wrap this story up in 4 chapters, but then the characters changed their mind and wanted another chapter. So hopefully, the next chapter will be the last one and tie this story up nice and neat with a bow. Maybe comments and kudos's will make the muse cooperate without me needing to haul out the medication and straitjacket.


	5. A curse broken (A curse revealed)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group sets out on their final leg to wake the sleeping princess and revived the cursed kingdom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still don't own ML. Still don't want to.  
> No CW/TW

“How are we going to get through that?” Alya asked, eyes wide as she tilted her head back to see the top of the barrier. “I don’t think that it’ll move just because we ask nicely.”

“That is one of the reasons why we needed the Avatar of Destruction.” Myléne smiled sweetly, turning to look at Adrien. “He can destroy the barrier with his touch. We’ll have to move fast though, the princess will bring the barrier back to life very quickly though. So, go ahead, Your Highness. Take down the barrier.”

Offering a smile to Myléne, Adrien urged his horse closer to the barrier. Carefully, he removed the glove from his left hand and held his hand up to the barrier. Glancing around the group, he said, “Be ready to run, friends.” Smiling, he pressed his hand against the plant barrier. The outline of his hand was traced in wisps of black smoke tinged with green. Starting slowly, the smoke spread, leaving nothing behind. As it started to speed up, it ate through the barrier, creating a path for the small group to take.

“Go!” Myléne shouted, tugging on Kim’s sleeve. “We need to move fast!’ 

Kim spurred their horse on, picking up speed. The small group raced through the barrier, dust kicked up by the hooves pounding against the ground. Sunlight peeked through the holes in the plants, illuminating a trail to follow. With each hoofbeat, the plant barrier grew back, just a little at first, but once it laid down a base, it exploded into growth. Vines chased after the horses, trying to catch them, but only brushing against the hairs on their tails.

With one final push, the horses burst out of the barrier, sweat coating their flanks. The barrier closed up barely seconds after the last horse had made it through, only a single black tail hair serving as evidence that a horse had ever crossed through. Each of the horses were guided in a circle so that they could cool down, the riders talking as they moved. 

“So, what now?” Alya asked, arching an eyebrow, reins held in one hand. “Where is the princess that his highness needs to wake up?”

“Don’t you remember the fairy tales, Alya?” Nino teased, shifting his shoulders to settle his shield more comfortably. “The princess is always in the highest tower.”

“I know that, Nino. But if you’d look at the castle-” At this point, Alya gestured at the castle, showing how the castle didn’t have any towers. “-there are no towers for the princess to be in.”

“This kingdom is a little different, Alya.” Myléne turned around in the saddle to look at Alya. “The kingdom of the sleeping princess was historically one that held unique trading goods, ones that only they could produce. This made them a target of attack, so the castle hid all the goods by laying tunnels and caverns underground. A maze was created so that only a few people could ever find the specific good they were looking for and once thieves started getting lost in the maze, people stopped trying to attack and steal the goods.”

“But this created a precedent for the kingdom.” Kim picked up where Myléne left off, stretching his shoulders. “They started to hide all of their most precious treasures in the maze, including the bedroom of the royal family. The princess will be hidden within the maze, most likely in her bedroom.”

“And the Spirit that has blessed my line, has given me the ability to seek something if I know enough about it.” Myléne chimed in happily, teeth shown off in a smile. “The Dog Spirit has blessed me with a keen tracker’s sense, one that cannot be outmatched. I have heard all the stories of the sleeping princess, and I can track her down with that.”

“Very well, let’s go and find the princess.” Adrien suggested, dismounting from his horse in a fluid motion. “After you, Lady Myléne.”

Kim jumped off his horse, feet shaking the ground and dust rising. Offering up a hand, he helped Myléne off the horse, then he tied the horse up, next to a trough of water.

Alya and Nino followed suit, hopping off their horses and tying them next to Kim’s horse. 

“Follow me!” Myléne chirped, taking the lead in the group. “Do try to avoid stepping on anyone. They may be asleep but they’ll still feel it.”

Slowly, the small group made their way to the castle. Myléne was in the lead, stepping surely even as she kept twisting her head in different directions. They all entered the castle, looking warily around to ensure that they didn’t step into any traps. On the walls of the castle were torches, torches that were still burning, decades after they had been lit. Shadows danced along the floor, creating illusionary paths and creating barriers that didn’t actually exist.

Myléne led the way confidently, never a moment of hesitation in deciding which way they should go. The path they took was one that few would ever be able to follow by accident. They veered left, darted right, turned around a few times, scaled a ladder camouflaged in the wall, pushed a trapdoor up and dropped down, opened secret passageways.

Finally, they reached a door. A door that looked just like every other door that they had passed. A plain rectangular wooden slab with a metal circle attached to a metal plate that could be used to pull open the door. 

“This is the room.” Myléne said, stepping back. “There might be a trap beyond the door, and I can’t sense traps in the room. One of you will have to take the lead from here.”

“Thank you, Lady Myléne.” Adrien smiled, taking over. Grabbing the handle, he started to pull it open, muscles flexing as the solid wood door was hauled open. He heard a soft click and shouted “Down!”. The group all dropped immediately, a storm of arrows just barely missing their heads. Adrien examined the room through the open door, keen eyes looking for any other potential traps. “The room is clear, and I don’t see any more traps. Lets go.” The group filed into the room, on guard for any unexpected traps.

For the resting place of the only heir of a royal family, the room was surprisingly plain. A few paintings of various sizes hung on the walls, the subjects of which were forgotten to time. A desk was tucked into the corner with papers everywhere, multiple inkwells opened and forgotten about, and several quills scattered. In the middle of the room was a small bed, one that lacked frills and ornamentation, the only sign of decadence, the pale pink that the linens were dyed. Tucked under the linens was a small girl with loose black hair around her shoulders. Her hands were folded across her stomach, creating a bump underneath the linens. Her delicate features were marred by ten scratches that were still dripping blood at a glacial rate.

“Time to do your job, Your Highness.” Nino teased, gently elbowing his blond prince. “Go wake up your true love.”

Adrien smiled and stepped forward, quiet despite knowing that the princess was sleeping so deeply that she wouldn’t hear. Kneeling beside the bed, he tilted his head to the side, looking at the sleeping beauty. Smiling, he leaned forward and kissed the princess on her cheek, leaning back immediately after. Black and green sparkles surrounded the spot where she was kissed, and spread across the rest of her body.

The princess gasped, shooting upright in her bed, eyelids flying up to reveal eyes of crystal blue. She looked around the room, eyes examining each of the people in her room. Smiling, she tossed off her linens, grabbing a red ribbon with black dots from underneath her pillowcase and tied her hair up in a bun on the back of her head. “Pleasure to meet all of you. May I know the names of those who woke me from my sleep?”

“Your Highness, I’m Prince Adrien of the Agreste kingdom.” Adrien introduced himself, sweeping into a gallant bow.

“Greetings, Your Highness. I’m Sir Nino of Lahiffe.” Nino dropped to a knee, bowing his head and pressing a fist over his breast.

“I’m Alya of the Césaire Clan, a fully fledged Witch, Your Highness.” Alya curstied, dipping her head in greeting.

“Myléne from the Dupont estates, Your Highness.” Myléne stuttered, dipping into a deep curtsy, eyes fixed on the floor.

“Kim, Your Highness, of the Lê Chiến storytelling lineage.” Kim bowed, eyes looking at Myléne.

The princess gave a firm nod, standing up and swinging her bed sheet around her in one fluid motion. She closed her eyes and whispered something, a shower of red and black sparkles falling over her after. When the sparkles vanished, she was clad in a simple pink dress with black embroidery on the hems. Moving smoothly, she retrieved a crown from her desk, placing it on her head. Turning to face the group, the dress revealed a tattoo of a ladybug just below her collar. Smiling, she introduced herself, “I am Crown Princess Marinette of the Dupain line and the Cheng lineage, first of her name, only child of Queen Sabine and King Tom, Heir Presumptive to the pâtisserie Kingdom, Avatar of Creation. It is wonderful to have met the Avatar of Destruction, the Avatar of Protection, the Avatar of Illusion, the Avatar of Tracking, and the Avatar of Jubilation. Now, it’s time to wake the rest of my kingdom and thank all of you for saving me from the curse laid upon me.”

~-_~-_~-_~-_~-_

A ball was in full swing. Musicians had dusted off and retuned their instruments, then set to work playing songs for people to dance to. Cooks and chefs turned on their stoves, stoking fires, fetching food from the deep storage, and whipped up a feast. Everyone had put on their best clothes and were dancing on the ballroom floor, skirts swirling, masks glittering on faces, tailcoats flaring, shoes clicking.

In the middle of the floor was a group of 6 teenagers, decked out in the finest that they had. All of them wore unique full face masks. One was a black mask with green eyes painted on and whiskers carved on; they also had a pair of black cat ears perched in blond hair. One mask was a simple tortoiseshell pattern, painted in shades of green, with a turtle’s beak painted near the mouth area in brilliant red, and outlined in bright yellow. Another mask was white with orange sections had hearkened to a fox’s face that had ears extending up from the masked; a few small bells were attached to the ears, jingling with every move. Yet another was painted brown with black lines to create a stylized dog’s face, a painted tongue lolling out of the mouth. A different mask was painted in brown, red, and yellow, all mingling together to create an image that looked different to everyone and shifted appearances when light hit differently. The last mask was the simplest, a bright red that had black dots all over it and black antennae curling up from the top of the mask.

From a balcony, a woman watched, dressed in a red qipao with several different characters stitched into the hems for luck and a golden crown nestled into her hair. Gentle black eyes tracked the dancer with the black spotted mask, eyes glowing with love and happiness.

“Are you happy, Your Majesty?” A man asked, decked out in a dark purple suit and a stylized insect mask asked, blond hair flopping on the mask.

“Who are you?” The Queen asked curiously, head tipping to the side. “I don’t remember you.”

“I’m no one special, just a servant, Your Majesty.”

“Everyone is special. Please tell me who you are.”

“My name is Adelpha.” The man bowed, hand clutching his black staff. “But anyway are you happy? Princess Marinette is with her true love, surrounded by friends. She has everything that she ever wanted.”

“I am happy, but I don’t feel like this is real.” Sabine sighed, sadness creeping into her eyes. She closed her eyes, thinking about everything. Suddenly, black eyes snapped open, filled with a realization. “This can’t be real. For a month, we have been celebrating our awakening and our kingdom’s reopening. But no one else has come. The group that saved us has remained within our borders, despite them being important people who can’t do whatever they want. This is only a fever dream, a desperation for everything to be perfect and wonderful.”

“Oh.” Adelpha sighed, closing his eyes. “Why did you have to be so smart, Sabine?” The edges of the ballroom started to run together as if it was a painting that had water thrown on it. “This world has everything that you wanted.” The scene continued to run together, colors bleeding together. The only ones still untouched were the 6 masked dancers who had formed a line, looking up at the balcony. One by one, they started to remove their masks. 

“Your daughter’s childhood friend.” The image changing mask was removed, revealing a smiling boy with asian features and a spike of blond hair. 

“A family friend’s daughter that grew up with yours.” The stylized dog mask was removed, displaying a round face with a small smile with a bandana holding back colorful locs. 

“The girl that helped your daughter grow a backbone.” The mask that was reminiscent of a fox was removed, a pink-lipped smile visible with a unique freckle above the right eyebrow.

“The son of one of your main suppliers, caring for his friends.” The tortoiseshell patterned mask was removed, showing off unique hazel eyes and a cocky smile. 

“The boy that your daughter has a crush on, finally looking at her.” The cat mask was removed, gentle green eyes peering out from messy blond hair.

“And finally, your daughter, surrounded by friends that actively sought to help her.” The red mask was removed, and Sabine’s daughter’s face was visible, a toothy smile visible.

As one, each dancer tilted their head to Sabine, then vanished. Adelpha opened his eyes, purple irises spinning hypnotically. “You win, Sabine. You get to go back to the real world.” He slammed the heel of his hand on Sabine’s forehead, and she disappeared. “You could’ve been happy in this world, one in which all your wishes came true.” Adelpha climbed up on the railing and jumped. Color vanished into his body, leaving behind only white. When there was only white left, Adelpha vanished into nothingness.

~-_~-_~-_~-_~-_

Sabine Cheng gasped, coming back to herself. Looking at herself in the mirror, she watched her reflection. Her qipao dissolved into the air, leaving her in her normal clothing. The golden crown melted away, changing into a pin that appeared on her shirt.

Eyes darted to her daughter who was still enclosed in the glass coffin. Slowly, one of the golden scenes on the red dress changed into black. Looking closer, the scene that had changed color was one that showed a small crown on top of a spindle.

“The tale of Sleeping Beauty.” Sabine breathed, eyes widening in horror and understanding. Marinette had inherited part of her lightning fast understanding, from Sabine who could put the clues together quickly. “Marinette can only be awakened by the person of each of these fairy tales, realizing that they are in them and wanting to learn them.” Collapsing by the coffin, Sabine started sobbing at the realization. Her daughter was Akumatized, and likely had caught the heroes of Paris in her net. The only way that Sabine would ever get her child back would be for every person caught in a fairy tale to figure it out and want out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed that story and the ending of one of my longer works. I tried to sprinkle in foreshadowing about the plot, but I'm still working on that.
> 
> Per standard practice, if you inform me of errors in spelling/grammar/formatting, I will be grateful. Alternatively, feel free to leave me a comment/kudos about your feelings on the story. 
> 
> Good new, I didn't need to haul out the medication and straitjacket for the muse to finish writing this. Bad news, I'm still stressed from working on my transfer paperwork for my uni.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, and hope it was enjoyable.
> 
> As always, if you catch any grammar/spelling/punctuation errors, feel free to tell me in the comments!


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